High prevalence of asymptomatic malaria infections in adults, Ashanti Region, Ghana, 2018

Malaria Journal

Christina C. Rolling¹  Christof D. Vinnemeier²  Melina Heinemann³  Thierry Rolling⁴  Richard O. Phillips⁵  Egbert Tannich⁶ 

[1] Department of Medicine, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany;NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA;Department of Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany;Department of Medicine, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany;Division of Infectious Diseases, I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany;Department of Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany;Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel;Division of Infectious Diseases, I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany;German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Hamburg, Germany;Department of Clinical Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany;Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA;Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kumasi, Ghana;National Reference Centre for Tropical Pathogens, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany;German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Hamburg, Germany;

关键词: Asymptomatic malaria;    Plasmodium falciparum;    Plasmodium malariae;    Plasmodium ovale curtisi;    Plasmodium ovale wallikeri;    Ghana;    Sub-Saharan Africa;    Rapid diagnostic test;    Polymerase chain reaction;    Molecular prevalence;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12936-020-03441-z

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundGhana is among the high-burden countries for malaria infections and recently reported a notable increase in malaria cases. While asymptomatic parasitaemia is increasingly recognized as a hurdle for malaria elimination, studies on asymptomatic malaria are scarce, and usually focus on children and on non-falciparum species. The present study aims to assess the prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum and non-falciparum infections in Ghanaian adults in the Ashanti region during the high transmission season.MethodsAsymptomatic adult residents from five villages in the Ashanti Region, Ghana, were screened for Plasmodium species by rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) during the rainy season. Samples tested positive were subtyped using species-specific real-time PCR. For all Plasmodium ovale infections additional sub-species identification was performed.ResultsMolecular prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium infection was 284/391 (73%); only 126 (32%) infections were detected by RDT. While 266 (68%) participants were infected with Plasmodium falciparum, 33 (8%) were infected with Plasmodium malariae and 34 (9%) with P. ovale. The sub-species P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri were identified to similar proportions. Non-falciparum infections usually presented as mixed infections with P. falciparum.ConclusionsMost adult residents in the Ghanaian forest zone are asymptomatic Plasmodium carriers. The high Plasmodium prevalence not detected by RDT in adults highlights that malaria eradication efforts must target all members of the population. Beneath Plasmodium falciparum, screening and treatment must also include infections with P. malariae, P. o. curtisi and P. o. wallikeri.

【 授权许可】

CC BY